Wrong tagging in 1Sam. 17:39 (נִסָּה) in HMT

[Elijah]

For נִסָּה֒ / נִסִּ֑יתִי BHS has pi'el, but HMT has nif'al.

1Sam. 17:39 וַיַּחְגֹּ֣ר דָּוִ֣ד אֶת־חַ֠רְבּוֹ מֵעַ֨ל לְמַדָּ֜יו וַיֹּ֣אֶל לָלֶכֶת֮ כִּ֣י לֹֽא־נִסָּה֒ וַיֹּ֨אמֶר דָּוִ֜ד אֶל־שָׁא֗וּל לֹ֥א אוּכַ֛ל לָלֶ֥כֶת בָּאֵ֖לֶּה כִּ֣י לֹ֣א נִסִּ֑יתִי וַיְסִרֵ֥ם דָּוִ֖ד מֵעָלָֽיו׃

 

[Ron Webber]

The root and parsing of both verb forms is identical, but the translation of Niphal (passive - “to be trained”) differs from Piel (active - “to train or test”). Either rendering is possible. 

Edited December 17, 2022 by Ron Webber

[Elijah]

In the Gesenius dictionary I typically use, there is no entry for nif'al (also not in others like BDB Complete, TLOT, and the BBH Grammar). So that's what let me to assume there might be an error. In the lexicon modules I have, I only could find a nif'al entry in the Concise Dict. of Classical Hebrew:

Ni. ₂ Pf. נִסָּה, נִסִּ֫יתִי—1. be trained (to wear armour) 1 S 17₃₉.

I don't have HALOT, so it would be interesting to know if there is an entry there or not.

[Donald Cobb]

HALOT lists this passage under both pi'el and niph'al. Here's what it says for the niph'al:

 

nif: (:: trad. piel): pf. ‏נִסָּה‎, ‏נִסְּתָה‎, ‏נִסִּיתִי: to venture, with inf. Dt 4₃₄ 28₅₆ (Donner-R. Inschriften 1, 193:9), 1S 17₃₉ Jb 4₂ (Budde GHK 2/1²:17f; Horst BK 16/1:60, 66, alt. rd. נשׂא qal or nif.). †

 

And for the pi'el: 

 

—2. to give experience, train (Greenberg JBL Heb. 79:273ff; Eissfeldt Kl. Schr. 3:356f; Zobel BZAW 95 (1965):30) with בְּ by means of: Ex 20₂₀ Ju 2₂₂ 3₁.₄ 2C 9₁, to test and become used to something (armour) 1S 17_39a._b

 

 

[Ron Webber]

I also recommend consulting The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew

 

Pi. train for military action, give experience of war,✱ unless §1, <SUBJ> Y. Ex 15₂₅ Dt 33₈ Jg 3₁. <OBJ> Israel Jg 3_1, עַם people Ex 15_25, אִישׁ man Dt 33₈. <PREP> בְּ of place, in, + Massah Dt 33₈; of agent, by (means of), with, + גּוֹי nation Jg 3₁. <COLL> נסה pi. + adverb, שָׁם there Ex 15₂₅.

 

Ni. ₂ Pf. נִסָּה, נִסִּ֫יתִי (see also §§2a, 2b)—be trained , to wear armour, <SUBJ> David 1 S 17_39.39.✱

 

DCH, s.v. “נסה,” 5:698.

 

The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (DCH) David J. A. Clines, Editor © 2011 Dictionary of Classical Hebrew Ltd. Used by permission. Accordance edition hypertexted and formatted by OakTree Software, Inc. Version 3.5  

[Donald Cobb]

3 hours ago, Ron Webber said:

I also recommend consulting The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew

 

Pi. train for military action, give experience of war,✱ unless §1, <SUBJ> Y. Ex 15₂₅ Dt 33₈ Jg 3₁. <OBJ> Israel Jg 3_1, עַם people Ex 15_25, אִישׁ man Dt 33₈. <PREP> בְּ of place, in, + Massah Dt 33₈; of agent, by (means of), with, + גּוֹי nation Jg 3₁. <COLL> נסה pi. + adverb, שָׁם there Ex 15₂₅.

 

Ni. ₂ Pf. נִסָּה, נִסִּ֫יתִי (see also §§2a, 2b)—be trained , to wear armour, <SUBJ> David 1 S 17_39.39.✱

 

DCH, s.v. “נסה,” 5:698.

 

The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew (DCH) David J. A. Clines, Editor © 2011 Dictionary of Classical Hebrew Ltd. Used by permission. Accordance edition hypertexted and formatted by OakTree Software, Inc. Version 3.5  

 

Agreed. DCH is actually my go-to lexicon for the Hebrew. It's more exhaustive in listing verse references in the Hebrew Bible and goes more in-depth than HALOT. It also takes into account Ben Sira and Qumran mss. The fact that it is a Hebrew  lexicon means that the Aramaic sections aren't covered, unfortunately, unlike HALOT. The two compliment each other well and it's well worth having both.